Machete used to injure 2 Woodlanders

Woodland police are searching for a man who used a machete in an early morning attack over the weekend outside Woodland Oaks Apartments on Cottonwood Street.

According to police, 24-year-old Woodland resident Joseph Mendoza was sitting in a car in the parking lot of Woodland Oaks, located at 724 Cottonwood St., between 1 and 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he reportedly got into a verbal altercation with a man he didn't know.

Mendoza got out of his vehicle and the other man hit him on the head with a machete.

Police say Mendoza's friend, 23-year-old Woodland resident Ryan Gomez, was able to wrestle the machete away from the suspect. During the struggle Gomez sustained an injury to his right hand.

The suspect escaped and is being sought by police. He is described as a young Latino man, standing about 5'6" and weighing about 140 pounds. He was wearing a white hooded jacket and dark jeans.

Police did not say whether the machete had been recovered.

This is not the first violent incident in that area this year. On Wednesday, Aug. 8, an 18-year-old Woodland resident was shot in the stomach as he walked with friends in the nearby lot south of Don's Diner, on the other side of Cross Street.

At the time police said the victim, Justin Gonzalez, had been hit with a shotgun but was expected to make a full recovery. The shooter was never identified.

Anyone with information on Sunday's machete attack is asked to contact the Woodland Police Department at 661-7800.